Aircraft landing wheel support



Jan. 2s, 1947.'

D. R. DEMALINE AIRCRAFT LANDING WHEEL SUPPORT Filed Nov. 22, 1944 Patented Jan. 28, 1947 OFFICEA AIRCRAFT LANDING WHEEL SUPPORT A i Donald R. Demaline, Toledo, Ohio Application November z2, 1944,seria1No. 564,627

(cpan- 103) 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to self-propelledlanding wheels for aircraft. 1

This invention has utility when incorporated in controllable prime mover 'units aligned with and exterior of the hubs o'f landing wheels` for airplanes, with the wheels and prime mover units as independently mounted for separate assembly and removal.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an embodiment of the invention with an outboard landing wheel of an airplane;

Fig. 2 is a partial section thru the hub and mounting arm for the outboard landing wheel of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, with parts broken away, of an inboard landing wheel for an airplane; and

Fig. Il is a showing, on an enlarged scale of features of the wheel hub and mounting arm terminus to show the assembly and drive connections. Y

A heavier-than-air aviation vehicle with fuselage I and plane 2 is shown provided with retractable mounting arm 3 and strut 4 so that a landing wheel 5 for the vehicle may be located more close to or concealed within the fuselage I while in flight.

Under the invention herein, the arm 3 has its free or lower end portion provided with an open ended transverse cylindrical seat or casing 6 in which may be located an electric motor l of builtin variable speed transmission therefrom to a protruding shaft 8. A conduit 9 in the tubular or hollow collapsible arm or mounting 3 extends to the operator or pilot in the fuselage I, to the end that the motor l may be started or stopped at will, as well as in starting the speed at which the shaft 3 is to be actuated may be determined. A closure or hub cap IIJ is readily removable to permit inspection or replacement of the multispeed motor unit l.

The cylindrical casing or seat protrudes outboard from the arm 3 as a carrier for anti-friction bearing II at a hub I2 for the wheel 5. A removable nut or collar I3 on the end of the casing E remote from the arm 3, when in position holds the wheel unit in the assembly. Upon removal of the nut I3, the wheel 5 may be cleared from the arm 3 and the casing 6 independently of the motor unit l.

With the wheel and motor assembled, a transmission connection is eiected by assembling disk lil to have a key connection I5 with the end of the shaft 3 remote from the motor l. Bolts I 6 anchor the disk I4 with the wheel 5. Accordingly,

as the aircraft approaches landing, and the landing wheels are located outward from the fuselage, the pilot may cut in the motor unit l to have the wheel 5 turning at a speed approximating in the wheel periphery that of the air vehicle, to the end that as the wheel 5 contacts the runway on the landing eld, there is not rasping or tearing of the pneumatic tired wheel-tread, and the wheel tire life is increased. Inasmuch as the motor unit 'I is of relatively small or inadequate power to propel the landing craft, there is not operation to pick up such landing load and carry it forward. In practice, as the landing contacts are made, one direction drive connection Il for the shaft 8 allows the wheel 5 to roll along independently of transmission back into the motor thru the speed reduction,- whether or not the motor 'I be cut out as to its electric power drive. Accordingly, with the motor 'I within the control of the pilot at -all'times, the pilot may cutout the drive for the motor l at once the wheel 5 contacts the landing runway.

With the construction of the tubular or cylindrical casing 6, there is rigidity for the mounting of the wheel 5. Additionally there is substantial shield for the motor 1.

For an inboard bearing, mounting arms 3, I8, may mount therebetween one of the airplane landing wheels 5, each of which landing wheels it is preferable to have equipped with an individual motor drive, thereby to conserve tire life therefor. In this adaptation, instead of the extended shaft section 8 (Fig. 2), there may be a less projection extent for a shaft I9 having its slip key connection I5 with a head 20 for a cylindrical or shell portion 2l terminating outwardly in a flange 22 connected by bolts I5 with the wheel 5. The wheel 5 has its, bearing II at its hub I2. A lock nut or washer I3 holds the wheel 5, thru its bearing II, in assembled relation with the tubular aXle or cylindrical casing (i from the arm 3. An antifriction bearing 23 maintains the shell or cup portion 2| central in the casing 6. Within the portion 2| is an additional antifriction bearing 24 centering therein a stub shaft 25 having detachable assembly 26 with the arm I8. The stub shaft 25 is thus mounted in alignment with the casing 6 of the tubular axle. There is vthus a stable inboard setup for the wheel 5. IH this embodiment, the motor unit l may be readily taken out by removal of the hub-cap-like disk IB. Independently of removing the motor unit l, there may be withdrawal of the stub shaft 25 for the arm I 8 to allow clearway to release the nut I3 and thereby permit the wheel 5 as a unit to be taken away from the arm 3. Accordingly servicing may be made selectively for the wheel as well as for the multispeed motor unit 1. The landing hazards for the wheel 5 and the motor 1 are not so structurally inter-related that one nec essarily involves the other. The configuration of the tubular axle 6 to provide a housing or seat for the multi-speed motor unit 1, in its general dimension works out as a most substantial and adequate carrier for absorbing landing-I shocks from the wheel 5. These values for retaining normal performance characteristics under con-I siderable abuse are present in the live landing wheel embodiments, whether inboardiorf outboard` hereunder.

In accordance with the disclosure herein, the

hub cap means I0, may be removed, whether` the,

motor unit 1, be assembled in the outboard r inboard construction or embodiment. With the cap I0 taken off, the slip or key connection l5, allows the motor unit 1i toA bewithdrawn from the casing or tubularaxle portion E as laterally of the wheel 5. The control for themotor unit 1 is thru the conduit 9 as in the arm 3. Considering the prime moveras an electric motor, electric current supply lines 211, to a manual control device 28v in convenientlocation for the pilot of the aircraft to give attention: thereto, thus enable ready control for freely spinning the respective landing wheels fl at' a, desired speed just prior to landing. The pilotf as determining the speed at which the wheels 5. areY to be` spun, may then cut out the unit 1, even before actual landing contact for the wheels 5'.

Whether or not the motor unit 1r be in the oas-- ing 6, the landing wheelf 5 may have its transmission connection plate 222 orl4, taken off, by removing the bolts I6. There is then exposed the nut I3, which as taken oir, allowsv thev wheel 5 to be slipped 01T the tubular axlelateral cylindrical projection as away from the arm 3. This cylindrical portion 6 at the lower free end of the downwardly extending arm 3 thereby locates the motor unit 1 in alignment with the axis of the wheel 5, but laterally of the tubular axle therefor. The tubular axle is thus a transverse extension away from the arm 3.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Arr. aircraft landing wheel support including an arm having a tubular axle extending transversely of its free end and providing an outward portion from the arm, a landing wheel rotatably mounted on the outwardly extending axle portion, said axle having an open end adjacent the arm, and laterally from the wheel a multispeedv motorl unit in said open end of the axle, said unit being insertable and removable therefrom independently of disturbing the wheel mounting on the axle, and a transmission connection from the unit thru the axle tothe wheel, and remote control connections for the motor unit extending thru the arm, said wheel motor unit each 4being removable from the axlel independently of the other.

2. An aircraft landing wheel support including a pair of arm means, a landing wheel therebetween, a tubular axle between the arm means to support the wheel, said axle having an outward open end, and laterally from the wheel a multispeed motor unit in said open end of the axle, said unit being insertable and removable therefrom independently of disturbing the wheel mountingy on the axle, a transmission connection from the unit thru the axle to the wheel; and nesting with said transmission connection a stub shaftcarried, by the arm means and extending into the axletoward'the motor.

DONALD R. DEMALINE. 

